The notion of punk cinema has been kicking around for a few years, based on the idea that a new generation of film-makers pick up a camera and take distribution into their own hands.

Scottish film-maker Richard Jobson is an undisguised champion of the 'spirit of 1977' for film and he should know - back then he was lead singer of punk band The Skids.

Now he sees clear comparisons. In the 1970s, a generation ripped up the elitist rock rule-book; now there are signs of the same DIY trend in visual media, particularly games. But the underlying ethos then and now, Jobson suggests, is an attitude of, 'Fuck you, I'm doing it my way.'

Jobson has held on to that sense of anger and drive. 'Don't get me wrong, I love all that morose middle-class melodrama, but I'm interested in more kinetic, visceral film-making.'

That is certainly the case with his latest film, New Town Killers, which is premiering at The Times BFI London Film Festival (on October 28) and stars Dougray Scott. It is the story of rich hedge-fund managers getting their kicks by hunting down poor kids on the streets of Edinburgh.

Thematically, it picks up on what Jobson sees as the vital theme of 'social invisibility' - and it is clear in style and tone that he identifies with the chased.

Stylistically, it is a daring film, cribbing conventions and styles from the games industry, in which Jobson has been working; the film is consciously aimed at a younger games audience. The opening sequence was designed with Scottish games company Rockstar North, whose credits include Grand Theft Auto.

The director retains huge enthusiasm for games but it is clear a major reason is that they are able to connect with the audiences he wants to reach. 'XBox and PS3 are massive and are going to get bigger,' he says. 'They understand their market and we can't afford not to be part of that world if we want to reach that generation.'

The combination of film narrative and games interaction could be a powerful driving force for the future of film, though Jobson is highly critical of the film industry's failure to engage. He believes a lack of marketing know-how and a failure to take risks in distribution are slowing progress, as is a bad habit of spending too much on budgets. 'There's no excuse for spending more than $1m on an arthouse movie.'

Jobson is a cinema literate film-maker; both the new film and previous work such as Sixteen Years Of Alcohol and Woman In White show the influence of East Asian film-making.

He is now working with his hero Wong Kar Wai on a project, following what sounds like a typically Jobson move: 'I met him on the street at the Edinburgh festival and said, 'I know more about you than you do.' And it went from there.'

That combination of cinema knowledge and punk enthusiasm is a tough mix but Jobson is optimistic about New Town Killers. 'I've found an actor (Scott) who seems to work perfectly for the kind of films I want to make and I've learned how to use new equipment so we have high production values at low cost.'

The challenge now is to find the distribution and marketing link between idea and audience that maximises the Jobson vision. But that is all part of the drive for a film-maker with a vision. The thing about Jobson is he was never a plastic punk - he means what he says.

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